Hunting and fishing are best managed by states and not by bureaucrats hundreds of miles away.

Congressman John Fleming, M.D. (LA-4) issued the following statement after he reintroduced his legislation to stop the U.S. Forest Service from banning the use of dogs in deer hunting in the Kisatchie National Forest:

“While I was heartened by the Forest Service’s decision to not intrude on the rights of Louisiana hunters during last year’s dog-deer season in the Kisatchie, there’s no guarantee that the Obama Administration and liberal environmental groups won’t try again to block sportsmen from a traditional form of hunting. The Sportsman’s Heritage Act that I introduced last year to protect dog-deer hunting in the Kisatchie passed overwhelmingly in the House of Representatives, but died in the Senate. This new measure, H.R. 542, is part of my continued opposition to the efforts of federal agencies to impose more restrictions on the people’s recreational use of public lands. Hunting and fishing are best managed by states and not by bureaucrats hundreds of miles away.”

Dr. John Fleming is Chairman of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs and is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. He is a physician and small business owner and represents the 4th Congressional District of Louisiana.